DISASTER MANAGEMENT
MODULE – I
Flood
Floods
A Flood is a situation in which water temporarily covers land
where it normally doesn’t. This water comes from the sea, lakes,
rivers, canals or sewers. It can also be rainwater.
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land which is usually
dry. Floods can be described according to speed.
Flood types
➢ Flash Flood – By speed of water during monsoon
➢ Coastal flood – by tides or tsunamis
➢ Urban Floods – due to choking of drainage system
➢ River Flood or fluvial flooding – river overflows the bank
➢ Ponding or pluvial flooding – overflow of ponds and lakes
➢ Areal (rainfall-related) – excess rainfall and blast of cloud
➢ Catastrophic – collapse of Dam and other water reservoir
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Effects of Flood
1. Primary effects
➢ The primary effects of flooding include loss of life, damage to buildings
and other structures, including bridges, sewerage systems, roadways and
canals.
➢ Floods also frequently damage power transmission and sometimes
power generation. It also includes loss of drinking water supply, which
may result in loss of drinking water or severe water contamination.
➢ It may also cause the loss of sewage disposal facilities. Lack of clean
water combined with human sewage in the flood waters raises the risk of
water borne diseases, which can
include typhoid, giardia, cryptosporidium, cholera and many other
diseases depending upon the location of the flood.
➢ Damage to roads and transport infrastructure may make it difficult to
mobilize aid to those affected or to provide emergency health treatment.
2. Secondary and long-term effects
➢ Economic hardship due to a temporary decline in
tourism, rebuilding costs, or food shortages leading to
price increases is a common after-effect of severe
flooding.
➢ The impact on those affected may cause psychological
damage to those affected, in particular where deaths,
serious injuries and loss of property occur.
➢ Urban flooding also has significant economic
implications for affected neighborhoods.
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Cases:
➢ Kedarnath Flood, in June 2013 affects the India and
causes the death of many pilgrims and local
populations.
➢ The Flood in Kashmir in September 2014 shake the
valley and affects the local residents of the state.
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Management of Floods
• Both structural and non-structural methods are used to
reduce the risk of flooding.
Structural methods are designed to keep the river in its
channel , or corridor, and away from populated areas or
valuable community assets.
• These include:
➢ Gravel management, such as taking gravel out of the
river bed to maintain the channel.
➢ River alignment- to keep it on course.
➢ Berm and bank edges protection – preventing erosion
by strengthening banks with rock or planting trees.
Building stop banks to contain the river when it is in
6 flood.
Non-structural Methods Include:
➢ Encouraging appropriate land-use in flood-prone
Areas (good use of such areas are sports fields or
car parks).
➢ Raising community awareness of the risks and
realities of living on a floodplain.
➢ Encouraging emergency preparedness in the
community, including flood warnings.
➢ House-raising and flood proofing of at-risk
properties.
➢ Catchment management such as reforestation to
reduce run-off.
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